This application relates generally to hybrid or electric vehicles, and particularly to a plurality of operating modes associated with hybrid or electric vehicles.
Vehicles, such as motor vehicles, utilize an energy source in order to provide power to operate the vehicle. While petroleum-based products, such as gasoline, dominate as an energy source in traditional combustion engines, alternative energy sources are available, such as methanol, ethanol, natural gas, hydrogen, electricity, solar, and/or the like. A hybrid powered vehicle, referred to as a “hybrid vehicle,” utilizes a combination of energy sources in order to power the vehicle. For example, a battery maybe utilized in combination with the traditional combustion engine to provide power to operate the vehicle. Such vehicles are desirable because they take advantage of the benefits of multiple fuel sources in order to enhance performance and range characteristics of the hybrid vehicle relative to a comparable gasoline-powered vehicle.
An example of a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that utilizes a combination of stored electric energy and an internal combustion engine as power sources to propel the vehicle. An electric vehicle is environmentally advantageous due to its low emissions characteristics and the general availability of electricity as a power source. The battery may be quite large, depending on the energy requirements of the vehicle, and will generate heat that is dissipated using various techniques. Batteries can be quiet emitting low sound. Adjustment between a supplemental energy source, like an engine, can be improved to provide desired vehicle performance characteristics.